Early English versions of the Gesta Romanorum / edited by Sidney J.H. Herrtage

[XLIV. ]
SATURNINUS A WISE EMPEROURE.
(WHY THE EMPEROR'S THREE DAUGHTERS, WHO WERE WIDOWS, WOULD NOT MARRY A SECOND TIME.)Harl. MS. 7333.

[leaf 180, col. 1 (cont'd)]

Story.

SAturninus was a wys Emperoure Reigning in the citee of Rome; the which had̛ iij. dowteris, that he marijd̛ vnto iij. dukes, with grete Ioye & withe grete power̛; and̛ withe in thre yer̛ þe iij. dukis wer̛ dede, and̛ iij. wodewis wer̛ I-left bihinde. Aftir þis dethe, þe Emperour̛ come to the first dowter, & saide to hir, "dowter, I counseiƚƚ the, that þou take an husbonde, and̛ I shalle gete the a noble man̛, and̛ a worthi." "Nay," quod̛ she, "I wolle noon̛, and̛ that for this skylle. ye wote welle, that I am neyþere feire, ne semlye, ne plesynge to mannis ye; and̛ þerefore no man̄ wolle take me for love, but for my Richesse; and̛ þerefore I make myn̛ avowe

to god̛, þat swiche on̛ wol I none take." Thenne the Emperoure come to þe secounde, and̛ saide Right so to hir. "Nay," saide she, and̛ that for this cause, "yf I take an husbond̛, I shulde love him as muche as him þat I hadde a-fore, or elles lesse; and̛ yf I lovid̛ him lasse, þenne ther shulde be no trew love bitwene vs, and̛ yf I lovid̛ him as moche as I dude the firste, that had̛ my maydinhode, þen̄ I dide out of Reson̛, as me semithe." The Emperour yede to the Thirde, and̛ seide, "wolt þou þat I gete to the an̛ husbonde; yf thow wolt telle me, and̛ I shalle gete the on̛ fallyng to thin Estate?" "A! [leaf 180, col. 2] god̛ forbede," quod̛ she, "for holly chirche tellithe vs, þat a man & a woman̛ couplid̛ to-geder in matrimony er oo body, and̛ two in sovle, So that my body is þe body of my husbonde, and̛ yf the fleshe be so deer̛, þenne ere the boones eke; & þerefor̛, as longe as eny bone is in the sepulcure of my husbonde, as longe shulle I neuer be couplid̛ to noon̛ oþer man̛ þanne to him." whenne the Emperoure hadde I-harde al thes aunsweris, he wolde no mor̛ towche to hem of matrimonye; so þey yeld̛ goode sowlis to god̛, of whos dethe gret lamentacion̛ was I-made, & sorow in the cite.

MORALITEE.

DEre Frendes, þis Emperoure is god̛; by the iij. dowteris, that bethe I-marijd̛, we may vndirstonde sowlis, whiche haviþ in hem þre thinges, scil. to stire or meve withe sovlis of feet, [Some corruption here. See note in paper edition.] to smelle with bestes, & to vndirstonde with aungles. Þe iij. dowteris were marijd̛ to iij. dukes by synne of the furste fadir; þe soule was marijd̛ to the devil be pryde of lyfe, maryed̛ to the worlde by wronge covetise of yen̛, and̛ also to the fleshe by sensualite. Þes bethe oure iij. Enmyes; but by doynge of penaunse, and̛ by the passion̛ of Criste, þeye wer̛ dede, & so subiecte to men, þat alle men in the worlde myȝt withstonde for to Resseyve synne, and̛ to be couplid̛ with wickidnesse, yf þat þe fer̛ wolle only assente þere to. & þerefore seithe Augustinus, Peccatum voluntarium est, synne is wilfulle; that a man dare not take hit, but he wolle him selfe. And̛ þe iij. dukes, that wer̛ the husbondes of the iij. dowteris, may be

seide the holy trenite, that coveytithe a man̛ to be couplid̛ to him by penaunce; and̛ þerefore late vs in this wordle be so vnsundirlye couplid̛ to the holye trenitee, that we mow come to the Ioye of hevene. Amen!